


To Uncover the Truth

by XxRainbowHeartxX



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputee Georgie Denbrough, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Bullying, Fluff and Angst, Georgie Denbrough is Missing, Neibolt Richie Tozier, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard, Temporary Character Death, The House on 28 Neibolt Street (IT), Violence, richie tozier is missing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22673626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxRainbowHeartxX/pseuds/XxRainbowHeartxX
Summary: What if things had gone different the night Georgie went missing? The six members of the losers club uncover the truth in their attempt to find him. While doing so, they are followed by a mysterious boy their age. The rumors that follow the boy leave people in fear of him.His name is Richie Tozier.That boy might just be what they need to find the missing children of Derry.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom & Richie Tozier, Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough & Ben Hanscom, Bill Denbrough & Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough & Eddie Kaspbrak, Bill Denbrough & Georgie Denbrough, Bill Denbrough & Mike Hanlon, Bill Denbrough & Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough & Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Georgie Denbrough & Beverly Marsh, Georgie Denbrough & Eddie Kaspbrak, Georgie Denbrough & Richie Tozier, Georgie Denbrough & Stanley Uris, Georgie Denbrough & The Losers Club, Mike Hanlon & Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier & Stanley Uris, The Losers Club & Richie Tozier
Comments: 11
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is so short! it's just the set up chapter for the main part, but it's still important. As a sorry, I'll post the second chapter fairly soon.

One fateful night in October saw the end of George Denbrough.

The small boy wanted nothing more than to play with his big brother, Billy. Except his older brother was just getting over a sickness, so Georgie was sent out to play by himself. The last William Denbrough saw of his baby brother was a yellow raincoat disappearing around the street corner, being blanketed with a thick sheet of rain.

The small boy hopped from puddle to puddle, chasing a small waxed paper boat down the watery street curb. The little boat picked up speed, causing a sort of panic and upset to settle in Georgie’s stomach. He hurried after it, crying out for it to stop as if the boat would listen. Unfortunately, he was too late to stop the paper creation from sinking through the sewer drain.

A conversation occurred that day between an innocent boy and what appeared to be a nice looking clown. That turned out to be the first big mistake made, for the clown was anything but nice. That stormy day turned out to be, what some would come to consider, the start of it all. 

Those people would be wrong

For there was another unknown person tied up in the telling of this story. The night Georgie Denbrough went missing, it was said that a dark figure stood in the same place the boy had been in mere seconds before his disappearance. With another blink, there was nothing more than a quickly disappearing puddle of blood.

The following week found the Losers club standing on the front steps of the Neibolt house. This special club had been around for many years already. Although it used to only consist of Three members. Bill Denbrogh, Eddie Kaspbrak, and Stanley Uris. Those three kids grew up together starting from a very young age.

Mike hanlon was the next to join, as the other three saw him being attacked by their own common tormentor, Henry Bowers. The three had devised a plan to save him, and he officially joined their little group of outcasts. The day Bill Denbrough kissed Beverly Marsh in the school play, she became an official member as well. And lastly, to complete their club, was Ben Hanscom. He had arrived as the new kid only a few months after Beverly Marsh joined the group. The other five took an instant liking to the kind boy. 

And so the losers club was officially formed.

This specific group seemed a lot closer than most kids their age would be. They could always be found together and it seemed as if they would do anything for each other. That fact means that when Bill Denbrough insists his brother is still alive, they believe him and they march straight into things head first. October had faded away to December and snow coated the ground by the time he came to that heart lifting conclusion. Most would say he was being too hopeful, but that was not the case. Because if Bill had not had that small kernel of hope, then they might never have found out the truth.

The group broke it down, doing endless research on all of Derry. Ben and Mike could be found at any time of day, holed up in the library surrounded by a stack of books so big you could make a castle. Bill and Eddie would spend countless days plotting out all their information on a giant map of the town, creating interactive models to prove points. Bev and Stan went around town, asking the folks any and everything they knew about the events that had been occurring twenty seven years apart for hundreds of years.. It was only as they began to pry that they officially saw IT. Each in their own special way. Whether it was at home or a place the frequent, they each saw that same clown that took the youngest Denbrough boy. But it confirmed something for them.

That there was definitely something out there causing them all this pain and torment.

And so, the group of six found themselves outside the old well house on Neibolt street with Bill at the front leading the pack.

To say things didn’t go well would be an understatement. Although the worst injury was Eddie’s broken arm, it didn’t improve the situation. Things still went terribly. The three that went in, Stan, Bill, and Eddie, ended up separated. They all saw different horrors that day that would haunt them for years to come. Eddie had fallen through the second floor, landing on a table and breaking his arm. To top it all off, the boy was nearly eaten by that Clown. 

Stan had been locked off in a room full of fake clowns and a coffin. Staked to the inside of that coffin was a missing persons poster for a kid he didn’t recognize. A doll of that same boy lay in it as well.The doll's mouth was sewn shut, eyes a blank milky white. Maggots could be seen crawling from holes in its cheeks. It was dirty, looking as if it had never been picked up once. Stanley had felt an odd aura come from the doll that day. It felt almost as if there was a real person in that little coffin instead of the porcelain figure he saw. After being attacked by the clown, Stanley was released from the room and the doll became nothing more than a faint memory. Neither of those encounters were the worst.

The worst was the truth that Bill had discovered.

In the room right over from the one Stanley was trapped in lay a dirty old mattress. Crumbled on that mattress was a bright yellow Raincoat. A very familiar paper boat sat atop it all. Both things were splattered with old blood. 

By the time Stan broke free from his room, Bill had already discovered what would be known as the remains of Georgie Denbrough. The Losers had to drag Bill out, that coat clutched in his hands as he sobbed hoarsely. The boy refused to speak again for the following weeks. 

The next day, Georgie Denbrough was officially declared dead. 

Our story actually starts two weeks following these events. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will definitely be the shortest chapter of all. It just seemed right to stop it where it was. The others following are twice the size of the first.

“No fag friends to save you now, is there flamer?”

Stanley Uris let out a strangled grunt, unable to make a retort for his face was being shoved into the freezing layer of snow that coated the ground. The pain it caused was dull compared to the hard grip Patrick Hockstetter had on his thin arms. A heavy boot connected with his side, causing him to yell out and struggle harder to pull away. His arm slid free and swung out, trying to grab hold of anything useful but only skimming the corner of a book.

That very book had previously been held very carefully in his hands as he picked his way through the snow in the park. Due to weather, there weren't any birds out so he was simply passing through after school had ended. Due to slick roads, he was unable to ride his bike and was forced to walk. What he didn't account for was a surprise visit from Henry Bowers and Patrick Hockstetter.

Due to the heavy snow fall the small town experienced, there was no one there to stop the bowers gang from continuing their little game of fun. Not like they would really try, since Bowers had a threat held over everyone’s head. As the pressure increased, Stanley almost swore he could feel blood bursting from his cheek. Whether it was due to the extreme cold, or the ice that scraped him harshly. It might even be a combination of both. He grit his teeth, knowing there was no escape and his best bet was to just wait it out. 

Yet as he thought this, an unfamiliar voice spoke up from a few feet away. “How about you let him go, Bowers? I could have sworn I heard your dad calling you back home. Must be waiting for you to suck him off, yeah?”

The tight hold on Stanley’s arms lessened and he was able to sit up slightly, turning his head toward the person that spoke. 

Standing there was a tall, thin individual who looked a bit familiar, but not at the same time. Curly black hair hung in front of his eyes and looked as if it had never seen a brush before. His eyes were magnified by large coke bottle glasses. The thing that stood out the most about him, despite this all, was the obnoxiously colored hawaiin shirt he wore the undershirt was a grey freese’s t-shirt. His outfit was flashy and too thin for the weather they were having. 

“The fuck did you just say to me?” Bowers’ face was red and he shook with psychotic rage. Patrick pushed off Stanley’s back, resulting in a loud pop. He sauntered up to stand right over Henry’s shoulder, looking all like the loyal dog he was. Although the older boy looked more like a wolf than anything. Stan saw the boy's hand twitch for his pocket, no doubt going for the lighter everyone was hated. 

The mystery boy shifted, locking eyes with Stan and giving a sharp but subtle jerk of his head. It didn't take long for the meaning behind it to settle. Trying to remain as quiet and unnoticeable as possible, Stan pushed off the soft snow, grabbing his school bag and backing up a few steps. The snow crunched under his feet, but the boys didn’t seem to notice. He watched the mystery boy carefully as he continued to mouth off at Henry and Patrick. He was swinging his arms, spouting off inappropriate comments here and there. Henry’s face had never looked more murders. Patrick simply looked amused, no doubt knowing he’d get to tear into the boy. 

Just as Stan prepped himself to run, Bowers struck with a closed fist. It collided harshly with the other boys face, nearly knocking his glasses off in the process. Instead of hitting back though, he simply cackled loudly, yelled a taunt and simply turned and ran. He called out, throwing insult after insult over his shoulder with another dry laugh. His tennis shoes brought up clouds of the white powder that blanketed the ground. It was clearly a distraction for Stan to get away. Only an idiot would fall for something as simple as that.

But, unsurprisingly, the two older boys took the bait. Taking off after him with sworn threats, labeling him as dead meat. Stan wouldn’t be surprised if there was a funeral for the boy the next day. And, taking that t as his que to leave, Stan turned away without another thought. He shoved his frozen hands into the pockets of his jacket, ducked his head and booked it out of the park.

It wasn't until later that night, after he had cleaned and bandaged his face, did he realize that his book was left behind forgotten in the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave any comments!


	3. Chapter 3

The following friday morning, Stan found himself sifting through fresh snow, searching frantically for his precious book. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. He'd have to get going soon if he wanted to make it to school on time.

So, five minutes later, Stan found himself straddling his bike empty handed and taking off down to a very special meet up spot. It was sacred to the losers in the fact that it's where they meet up before school.

And a way to see Mike, the only boy in their group to be homeschooled.

They all left early enough from their respective houses to get there roughly around the same time. It also gave them a good half hour to relax together. The spot was just a five minute bike ride from the school, but still on Mike’s delivery path. If they were ever caught by someone’s parents, they had good cover. And so, Stanley arrived the exact same time as usual. Eddie wasn’t far behind and then one by one, the others showed up. The thirty minutes passed by all too quickly, as it always seemed to do. The five of them split off from Mike. They wouldn’t see him until school was done.

The day itself passed by in a blur for Stanley. Oddly enough, he had a hard time focusing on the lesson being taught. Lunch was just as much a blur. Something was plaguing his thoughts enough that everything was out of focus. The one thing he didn’t miss was the concerned glances the other four sent his way. 

And so, the school day ended quickly. Stanley walked side by side with Bill as they exit the school. As much as he tried, Stanley couldn’t stop thinking about the curly haired boy that saved him from Bowers. There was something about him that was so familiar, yet he somehow knew he’d never seen the boy before. It was a heavy thought in his head that distracted him from what Bill was saying.

The two boys stepped out into the brisk weather, immediately heading towards the bike racks. Beverly, Eddie, and Ben were already there, looking off in the same direction and talking quietly. Mike was headed toward them from the opposite way the other three were looking, yet his gaze was locked in the same direction as them. Stan looked toward Bill with a raised brow and got nothing more than a shrug in response.

“W-what are you guys l-l-looking at?” The four turned to the duo as they approached. Beverly rolled her eyes at them.

“Tozier.”

That name struck a weird feeling into Stanley’s chest. It felt like someone had sucked all the air from his lungs. “Who’s Tozier?” He dared to ask, voice catching in his throat. Eddie turned to him with raised eyebrows and an incredulous look. Ben, Mike, and Bill all looked as interested in the response. It looked like not even they knew the answer to that one.

“You mean you don't know who Richie Tozier is? He’s some creepy kid that went missing a few weeks ago.” Eddie looked back over his shoulder. This time, Stan followed his gaze.

“Except he didn’t. He came back yesterday, completely out of random. And it’s not like he has any family anymore. They left a little after the first time he disappeared.” Beverly piped back in, keeping her voice low. “There's something seriously off about that guy.”

Ben spoke up, brows furrowed. “What do you mean the first time he disappeared?” 

Mike shifted, face scrunched up with an odd expression. “Maybe this is a conversation for another time.” The longer they stood there, the more attention they attracted by the thinning crowds of students.

Stan was still searching the crowd for this Richie Tozier but got distracted by a familiar- unfamiliar face. Standing a few feet away with nothing but a book in his hands was the Mystery Boy.

Stanley could recognize the book in his hands even from a distance. It was his book that had been lost in yesterday's tumble. That thing alone was what caused him to move.

His body jerked him into action. Stanley set his bike back into the rack and took off for the guy. The other losers called out to him, sounding panicked. He ignored it.

Mystery boy glanced in his direction, lips twitching into a lazy smile. There were so many things concealed in whatever mask he wore. An almost dangerous feeling clung to him. It was almost enough to make Stan stop his approach.

“Mr. Uris! What a pleasant surprise it is to see you here.” His voice was thick with an accent, sounding all to like a young boy selling newspapers on the side of the road.

Stanley paid it no mind, rolling his eyes as he came to stop next to the taller boy. He awkwardly held his hands out for the book. “Thank you.” He spoke with a clipped voice, not entirely sure if he could trust the boy. “For the book and for what you did yesterday.”

The boy's face dropped slightly, eyes going cloudy as he stared blankly down at Stan. A shudder racked his frame, bringing him back from wherever it was he went. Stan quirked an eyebrow at him. Mystery boy’s body jerked forward, thrusting the book into Stanley’s waiting hands. 

“Think nothing of it.” A wink quickly followed his statement. Stan took a cautionary step back, creating a bit of distance between the two. Just before he turned to get back to his friends, a question settled in his head.

“Oh! I didn’t catch your name.” 

Richie gave him a wry smile, something dark swirling in his eyes. “Richie. Richie Tozier.” 

There was a haunted tone that attached itself to his words like a ghost, sending shivers down Stanley’s spine. His skin prickled, a feeling like fear settling on his shoulders.

Without another word, he turned and took off for his friends. He didn’t look back once.


	4. Chapter 4

An hour later and the six losers could be found in a certain underground clubhouse. They were spread across the small space, looking a lot like a family simply lounging in their own home. 

Bill and Eddie sat in a tangle of limbs, nestled in the hammock strung between the far wall. Ben and Mike were leaning together in their own corner, a collection of comic books spread between them both. Beverly was perched delectily on the ladder, cigarette held loosely between two fingers. Stanley was kneeling near the small bookcase, newly returned book clutched tight in his grip.

“So.” Beverly took a drag from her cigarette. Her eyes locked with Stanley’s, eyebrows going up. “Wanna explain why you were talking to Tozier today? Even though I could have sworn you said you had no idea who he was.”

The others all shifted, their focus settling on the man in question. An odd tension thickened the air, almost suffocatingly so. Stanley winced slightly. “I didn’t know that guy.” He shrugged, surprisingly out of words. They all seemed to have fled his brain at the mere thought of the boy. “He saved me from Bowers yesterday. I guess he still had my book.”

Bill sat up as best as one could while sitting in a hammock. “B-B-Bowers attacked you a-again?” His face was twisted into a frown. Now the air turned thick with an angry sort of tension. 

Stanley nodded, offering no explanation. “Who exactly is Richie?” it was obviously an attempt to switch the topic, and Beverly didn’t exactly look like she would fall for it this time. Thankfully, it was Eddie that spoke up next.

“Pretty sure he’s the reason all those kids have been disappearing.” Now everyone’s attention was on the poor hypochondriac. He shrugged, face twisted in a disgusted mask of fear. “Right before someone disappeared, people said they saw him with them. No matter who it was, everyone says he was the last person they were seen with.”

Beverly pipped in, taking over in the story telling. “He was also the first person to disappear when it all started.” She dropped her cigarette, crushing it idly beneath her boot. “He was gone for a solid month. It doesn't help that his parents up and moved two weeks in. No word to anybody, just gone like that.”

Stanley felt a pool of dread grow in his gut.

Eddie nodded, hands fiddling for his fanny pack. He withdrew and aspirated and took two large inhales.”Exactly a month after he went missing he showed back up to school like nothing happened. He was acting a bit strange, but otherwise the same. That's when other kids began to disappear. That’s when…” he trailed off, eyes locking with Bill’s.

They all understood what he meant.

Beverly stood from her spot, walking over to Stan and plopping back down. “After a kid disappeared, no one would be able to find him for two days exactly. The police didn’t bother looking into any of it.”

Surprisingly enough, it was Ben that spoke next. “I’ve seen it.” He blurted out, hands wringing together. “People are scared of him. I never really knew why, but… Do you really think he’s doing it?”

Beverly nodded. “If not the one doing it, he’s definitely involved.”

Stanley felt a chill roll down his spin.

The rest of the day passed in a morbid silence as they all debated the new information.


	5. Chapter 5

It was an exact week later before they saw Richie Tozier again. 

The water down at the quarry had frozen thick. This meant it was the perfect time for the Losers to go skating.

None of them owned skates, of course. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun sliding across the thick ice, playing games like tag or having races to see who could get farther without falling. 

It was in one of those moments where they were all laughing, watching poor Mike struggle to stand up from a big wipeout. The hair stood up on the back of their necks. That feeling of being watched washed over them all and as one, they glanced to the top of the quarry. 

Standing high up on that cliff in nothing but pants and a Freese’s t-shirt, was Richie Tozier. His face seemed to be void of emotion. How the boy wasn’t freezing to death would be a question to remain unanswered. 

Raising one pale hand high, the Strange boy waved them over. It looked as if he was begging them to join him. To follow him up that cliff and to god knows where.

Five minutes he stood there, watching them with unblinking eyes. Then he simply turned, and walked away.

No one knew what to say or what to do. 

The next encounter happened the next day, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Mike was at home, basket full of orders and a smile on his face. Just as he kicked off, he noticed a slight movement near the end of his drive. 

There stood Richie Tozier, dressed the same as he had been the day before. Yet now, his face was streaked with dirt. His hair was ratted, sticking up in odd places as if it hadn’t been brushed in months. 

The boy had his hand up, beckoning Mike to him. Mike stayed put, shivers crawling up his arms. Exactly five minutes later, Richie turned and walked away. 

Mike made it to the Losers’ special spot, nearly ten minutes late and bit more then shaken up. From then on, they kept their eyes peeled and their guards up. The rest of the week, each loser saw him in their own weird encounter.

Eddie saw him on his way home from the pharmacy, bag clutched protectively in his hand. Eddie had frozen in fear, backing away from the boy. He looked the way Mike had described, except now his shoes were missing. 

Five minutes passed, and the boy walked away. 

The following day was Ben’s turn. The poor boy had been exiting a shop, bag of licorice clutched in one hand. Richie was waiting outside the building, beckoning for him to approach. His shirt now had dozens of rips and tears in them. He seemed a bit more frantic than usual, a hopeless pleading glint to his dark eyes. Ben ducked back into the shop, not leaving until five minutes had passed and Richie had left. 

Stan’s day followed. He had simply glanced out his bedroom window, hoping to catch sight of a bird. Instead, Richie Tozier stood on the sidewalk. He no longer waved Stan over. His hair was still a mess, clothes ripped and shoes missing. Only now there were bruises in odd patchy shapes across his cheeks. They were nearly black with how dark they looked. From the distance he was looking, Stan almost confused them for holes.

Bev was next. She had been on her way to the clubhouse when she saw him. He sat on the ground just off from the start of the path. As she got closer, he stood fast. There were now dark lines across his lips, looking as if they had been drawn on by a marker. It gave off the spin chilling illusion of sewed lips. He took steps toward her, hand reaching out. A bolt of fear shocked her core, and she darted past him not bothering to look back in case he followed. 

The final day was a bit different then the rest. While the others had seen him one on one, They were all present when he approached Bill. The group of six stood outside the school, unlatching their bikes from the racks. A cold hand reached out, gripping Bill’s elbow tight and gave a harsh tug.

The group turned as one toward the figure.

It was Richie Tozier. His clothes were in taters, bruises still dark against his too pale cheeks. The marker lines looked even more like thread now, zig-zagging across his lips. His hair looked like a storm had blown it with strong gusts of wind and his feet were still as bare as ever.Now though, his eyes were a milky white. It’s almost like what you would expect to see on a blind man. 

Or a dead man.

He tugged with an iron grip on Bill’s arm, leaving the boy no choice but to stumble after him. Mike darted forward first, trying to pry Richie’s grip off his friend’s arm. Yet no matter how hard he pulled, there was no give. 

The other losers’ grabbed their bikes, Ben making sure to hold his in one hand and Silver in the other, and they took off after the pair. 

Despite their threats and pleads to get Richie to let go, the boy didn’t so much as flinch. No matter how hard Bill hit or tugged and scratched, it seemed impossible that the other boy would ever let go. And so, they followed after him. No question got an answer. No words were exchanged between any of them.

It felt like hours of winding through the town and down different streets that they finally made it somewhere. The group of seven stood outside the old well house on Neibolt street. The house was in tatters, looking like even a small gust of wind would knock it over. They all half expected it to crumble like a house of cards. 

Only when Richie had dragged Bill up the steps of Neibolt, the other Losers a step behind, did he let go. Red fingerprints were left behind. In a few hours, it would be a large purple bruise.

No matter how much the other losers wanted to turn and run, something compelled them to stay. A clatter of bikes hitting the floor, all but one that is, filled the stiff air and effectively broke the tension. Richie turned toward the house, ascending the stairs and disappearing into the front door with nothing more than a brief glance over his shoulder. His appearance seemed to match the house very well, the others couldn’t help but think. 

They stood outside for god knows how long, growing more tense as the minutes ticked by. They exchanged worried glances and soft whispered questions. It was really only twelve minutes later when the door finally creaked back open. Richie stood there, looking the same as before. Except now, he was holding someone’s hand in his own. It was clearly a child's hand he held. Richie locked eyes with Bill, a spark of something swirling in those dark eyes. With a soft tug of his hand, the other person stepped forward from behind the door frame.

And there stood little Georgie Denbrough.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave advice in the comments!


End file.
